Cardiac Checkups Surge as Heart Attack Cases Remain Untracked

As of August 2025, doctors and medical institutes have observed a notable rise in the number of people seeking preventive checkups for cardiac care, even as the Union Health Ministry recently reported that cases of heart attack are not notifiable and there is no central registry for these adverse health events.

One key development in this space is the growing use of the coronary artery calcium (CT-Cal) score, a non-invasive tool that quantifies the calcified plaque burden in the coronary arteries, providing valuable insights into a person's heart health. Doctors emphasize that this test can be particularly useful in reclassifying intermediate-risk patients and guiding preventive therapy, such as the prescription of statins.

However, healthcare professionals caution that the CT-Cal score should not be seen as a replacement for clinical assessment or functional testing, especially in symptomatic patients. Dr. Vishal Rastogi, director of Cardiology at Fortis Hospital in Delhi, explains that while a higher calcium score correlates with increased risk of heart attack and cardiac mortality, a score of zero can be highly reassuring in ruling out significant coronary artery disease in asymptomatic individuals. The CT-Cal score is most valuable as a prognostic test in primary prevention, helping doctors and patients understand risk and make proactive lifestyle and treatment choices.

Experts recommend a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular risk assessment, incorporating traditional tools like lipid profiles, ECGs, and treadmill tests, as well as advanced modalities such as coronary CT angiography and cardiac MRI. Dr. Sanjeeva Kumar Gupta, a cardiologist at the C.K. Birla Hospital in Delhi, emphasizes that several tests are available to assess cardiovascular risk and predict future heart problems, and the CT-Cal score should be interpreted alongside clinical factors and other diagnostic evaluations.